Planet ISKCON

Saranagati, British Columbia

More Tests

More tests.  Mahidhar’s 93 year old dad passed away last night.  We had dedicated some mantras on his behalf.  Bless him.  Mahidhar felt relieved.

While Mahidhar’s vehicle was in for repairs, Peter and I had a contingent plan for getting back to Vancouver to meet appointments there.  At the town Cache Creek, our anticipated bus trip floundered.  It arrived one and a half hours late.  We then found out that no seats were available.  Next plan – Gosh Thakur agreed to drive us to Vancouver, but before we could make it to Highway One, the fan belt to his vehicle came undone.  We had no recourse but to wait to see if the Ford Escape would become road worthy.

So wait we did.  But in the nicest way.  Our community in the valley was honouring the passing of one of the great saints of his time.  It happened to be the anniversary of the passing of Bhaktisiddhanta, the guru of our guru.  Many achievements go to his credit, including the promotion of parikrama (pilgrimage).  He would organize and partake in pilgrimages in India in around the turn of the last century.  He did substantial walking, leading his followers to sacred places, to birth sites of saints and avatars and places of significant spiritual events.

At the Saranagati ISKCON Centre, I was requested to read to the group of Bhaktisiddhanta’s great accomplishments.  It then donned on me that I could add him to my mental list of walking heroes.  Already there are such personalities or sages such as Narada, who as a young boy trekked in many different directions, and then finally achieved the ability towards interplanetary travel; Vamana, the avatar who became famous for taking three steps; Balaram, Krishna’s brother, who averted the Kurukshetra war in favour of pilgrimage; Vidhura, who reacted justifiably to the insult of his nephew, taking to the wandering monk’s lifestyle.  There’s more.

Now I can add to the list of monastic travellers, this great personality, and I’ll spell out his name with honourific titles.  His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada.

Back to my own travels.  Well, we made it to Vancouver, Mahidhara’s oil pan got replaced.  Finally.  And as far as walking goes, I’m sad to say I didn’t do any.

Life is full of tests.  How are you taking them?

May the Source be with you!

0 KM

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Family blood ties are impelling
we give them energy and attention—
whether they’re compatible or caustic
blissful or fairytale sounding to others—
we can’t change, or bring back, our history
or modify time we’ve spent together
so we tolerate or emphasis the best
though we may try to forget
or laugh at the pain of our shared issues
our experiences together still shape us
as our basic foundation in this life;
our past lives have created our present
which can soften bad feelings, or victimhood
since everything happens for a reason
and no one is completely innocent
in family dynamics and interactions.

For the purpose of a family reunion
we drive 12 hours to South Florida

read more

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

 

In the varanashram system, the grihastha ashram is the stomach of the social body in that it nourishes all others. Naturally, maximum devotees choose this ashram. Srila Prabhupada taught that the grihasta ashram was meant to create a happy situation to practice bhakti. With proper understanding and interdependence between the husband and wife, such householders can prove to be great examples to the society, which is ridden with conflicts especially with regard to family life. -- Read more ›

“Fie upon this wretched life which affords one only misery. To live is to experience nothing but disease and pain. Pursuing in turn religion, wealth and pleasure, one endeavors much but receives little happiness. While everything leads to salvation, that is an impossible goal to achieve.”

Ekachakra brahmin at whose house the Pandavas were residing, Mahabharata translated by Krishna Dharma Das

The post The pope wisely said that a shepherd will be known by his carrying the smell of his flock appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Vibhishana Das - preaching Krishna consciousness in Israel. In the video he is is being interviewed in Hebrew by Peleg Hai Levanony, who produced this video. English subtitles have been provided -- Read more ›

ISKCON New Vrindaban Board Meeting Minutes – 12/11/13.

ISKCON New Vrindaban (INV) Vision Statement: Founded in 1968, Srila Prabhupada boldly envisions New Vrindaban as a sacred place known worldwide for Cow Protection, Self-Sufficiency, Holy Pilgrimage, Spiritual Education, and, above all, Loving Krishna.

Participating Board Members:  Jaya Krsna, Jamuna, Gopisa, Ranaka, Chaitanya Mangala & Dayavira.

Recording Secretary: Laxmi Honest

1. Financial report

Jaya Krsna explained that the accounting work is not yet ready for presentation.  He needs approximately two weeks to finish and will send out financials at that time. A special meeting was suggested when the report is ready. This was approved by consensus.

2. INV appointee for ECOV board

The INV board is tasked with appointing a member to the ECOV board as per the IRS Integrated Auxiliary requirement. After some discussion, Ranaka was designated as the INV representative on the ECOV board.

3. New board candidates

This discussion focused on Keval Patel and Bhima Walker who had been invited to attend the Semi Annual Joint Board Meeting in consideration of membership on either board.  Chaitanya Mangala reported that both remain interested and enthusiastic to participate.  There is one open seat on the ECOV board and 2 on the INV board.  It was suggested that Keval Patel could be inducted into the INV board and Bhima Walker could be considered by ECOV for membership on their board. Voting will take place in January 2014, at the annual meeting that specifically addresses board membership.

4. Healthcare

A representative from the Marshall County Health Department visited New Vrindaban recently to inform the devotees of requirements under the Affordable Care Act.  Jaya Krsna pointed out that this is now the law, and while most devotees will qualify for Medicaid, others will need to purchase health insurance.

5. Advisory group

The proposed New Vrindaban Advisory Group has had two meetings.  They are working on getting set up and establishing their goals and structures.

6. Clean up at Bahulaban

Clean-up at Bahulaban, especially around the heavy equipment area, is needed.  The board agreed that this is a management issue, and Jaya Krsna suggested that spring would be the best time to approach this project.

7. Bulk food storage

Gopisa gave a report on the progress of the bulk food storage. Rice has been ordered through Dina Graves at Otis McAllister Inc. in California.

The Auckland metropolitan area, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country -- Read more ›

Keshava was the warmest of friends and with her sharp intellect it is no platitude to say that she was one of the forces behind the founding of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, of which Shaunaka is the Director -- Read more ›

HG Jahnavi Devi Dasi – Hare Krisna (Budapest 2012)

The post December 24th, 2013 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Answer Podcast

Answer Podcast

The scriptures mention that no one except Nara-Narayana rishi is free from lust. So is the expectation that our spiritual guides be free from sex desire a projection of our desire to be God, that is, are we expecting our spiritual guides to be God? How do we understand Prabhupada's statement that he had no lust.

Answer Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

This was recently shared with me via email.

Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of life. As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery in the Nova Scotia back country.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn’t stop for directions.

I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late.

I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play.

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played “Amazing Grace”, the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head was hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I never seen nothing like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.”

Apparently I’m still lost….it’s a man thing.

Filed under: Jokes

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

Holy Name Meditation Podcast

"I would also like to know if the initiated devotees are chanting regularly sixteen rounds and following the regulative principles rigidly. This is very essential."

Letter to Harer Nama
February 11, 1970

The antiseptic potency of devotional service to the Lord is so great that it can neutralize the material infection even in the present life of a devotee. A devotee does not need to wait for his next birth for complete liberation.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.3 purport

Flickr Album

The post Distributing books appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

We are not these bodies - reincarnation is a law of nature. We are spiritual beings encased within these bodies. When we die, depending on our consciousness, we acquire another body.

Dr. Jim Tucker is a medical doctor & scientist studying past life memories of children using genuine scientific methods. He has written books on this subject matter clearly documenting the memories of children of their previous lives. From a spiritual perspective, it is a clear evidence to show that the consciousness survives the death of the body and moves on to other realities. Why then are we obsessed with our body? All social, economic, religious and political problems stem from a bodily concept of life.

For more information on Dr. Jim Tucker and reincarnation, please visit his site - Dr. Jim Tucker

Hare Krishna

May my eyes become overwhelmed with ecstasy by seeing the nectar waves of Vrindavana’s beauty. May my intelligence drown in the nectar ocean of Vrindavana’s glories. May my body become agitated by the swiftly moving currents of ecstatic bliss and thus roll about on the ground of Vrindavana. Falling down like a stick, may I offer my respectful obeisances to all the residents of Vrindavana.

The President of the Moscow Society for Krishna Consciousness and the head of public education project, "Vaishnava University" Sriman Radha-Damodar Prabhu donated to the famous All-Russian Library of Foreign Literature copy of the famous work outstanding Indian religious leader and educator Sri Jiva Goswami "Shatsandarbhi" in English. -- Read more ›

Krishna in the center! -- Read more ›

Congratulations to all the new graduates in Iskcon Alachua community: Congratulations to Jahnavi Harris who just graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a degree in Environmental Engineering. Congratulations to Rajasana Wilhoit who graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a degree in Computer Science and was just hired by Amazon.com. Congratulations to Naitaicharana Ely from the University of Florida with a degree in Psychology. Congratulations to Bhaktin Lacey from Krishna House Congratulations to Mukunda Rico, graduated from Evergreen College in natural healing We give these graduates all blessings to fulfill their goals and engage in devotional service with their many talents. -- Read more ›

1974 December 23: "As one of my elder disciples you must set a nice example. You must become ideal in all respects, rising early, chanting sixteen rounds, attending classes, eating only Krsna prasadam, etc. This is very much wanted. This will make everything perfect."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

1974 December 23: "I was also grhastha now I am sannyasi. So I recommend you also take up this life. So many great kings and saintly persons all finished the last part of their lives living as mendicants, sannyasis."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1974

Vaishnavas of India (Bhubaneswar, Orissa), Russia, France and England this year also came to bring joy to Srila Prabhupada and Sripad Gour Govinda Swami chanting the holy names of the Lord together. -- Read more ›

Conversation with Manjari d.d.

The post On non-devotees worship of Gaura-Nitai and other topics appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

See lots more photos here

A diamond is nothing but an ordinary piece of coal, which with the help of nature’s wisdom, has transformed into a precious jewel under extreme pressure -- Read more ›

It was an incredibly beautiful Sunday Feast program tonight, with soft candlelight providing a beautiful backdrop for an evening that was highlighted by the presence of HG Vaiesesika prabhu! -- Read more ›

During July of 1971 Romapada Swami received first initiation from Srila Prabhupada at the temple located on Henry Street in Brooklyn, New York. One year later, during the summer of '72, Romapada Swami received second initiation. At the time he was fully engaged as the Sankirtana Leader and the Temple Commander in a temple of 150 devotees. During that same summer, Their Most Beautiful Lordships, Sri Sri Radha Govinda, arrived in New York -- Read more ›

Every mind has its own way of looking at things; so what one mind establishes, the other destroys, nay the same mind re­jects today what it accepted yesterday.

- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, Vaishnavism – Real and Apparent